Conventional printers and multifunction-devices (printing devices) are capable of being citizens in a network environment. These conventional printing systems can offer a wide range of functionality. In many instances, the user of the printing device rarely or infrequently needs to use the entire range of offered functionality.
In addition to offering a wide range of functionality, a conventional networked printing device may include a built-in processor, hard drive for data storage, a web server for communicating on a network, and sophisticated management software.
Once a conventional networked printing device is physically connected to a network, such as an intranet (local area network—LAN), the printer can be either managed directly from a computing device (such as a local workstation) or from a standard web browser or any web-enabled application residing on a local workstation or remote workstation.
Conventional management software enables administrators to monitor, configure, and troubleshoot a conventional networked printing device from a web browser or a web enabled application.
In such conventional situations, post-purchase users are responsible for supplying and replacing toner/ink cartridges and paper for the printers. However, many users can readily identify the proper toner/ink cartridges and/or paper needed for the printer.
As noted above, the conventional printing device often offer a wide range of functionality which the user does not frequently need, which causes many users to over buy so that the user can have a certain functionality during that rare occurrence that it is needed.
Some conventional printers offer a user very little information about the status of the printer by using a form of “idiot” lights to communicate issues with the printer. For example, some conventional printers have illuminated a single light to signal any and all problems that the printer has detected, while other printers have used multiple lights to signal whether the problem was associated with the paper path or with ink.
Newer printers have utilized LCD displays to display a greater amount of information to assist printer users; however, the cost of LCD displays limits the use and size of the LCD display. More specifically, a small LCD display can provide error messages that users find cryptic, such as “error J2,” requiring the user to turn to some other source of information to understand the issue.
One such source of information is the conventional printed user manual. These manuals increase both the printer's manufacture and distribution costs. Additionally, with the use of programmable updateable printers, the information in a printer user manual (hardcopy or electronic) can become quickly outdated.
It is further noted that with the advent of the internet, mobile and smart phones, and wireless network access, people are no longer tied to the personal computer on their desk. This has also enabled a great reduction in the paper documents people must generate, store, and transport to collaborate and communicate with others.
Most documents spend the majority of their lifetime in electronic form because of the ease with which the electronic document can be modified and shared. Notwithstanding the benefits of an electronic document, some people continue to prefer a hard copy of a document for some tasks.
Frequently, these people are away from their own computer networks and/or printers when they decide to make a hard copy of an electronic document, but cannot generate a hardcopy because they do not have access to a local printer although they may be located at a place where they are surrounded by idle printers.
Other examples of conventional printing devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,199; U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,015; U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,925; U.S. Pat. No. 6,674,545; U.S. Pat. No. 6,965,931; U.S. Pat. No. 7,177,034; U.S. Pat. No. 7,190,478; U.S. Pat. No. 7,957,019; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,130,396.
The entire contents of U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,199; U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,015; U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,925; U.S. Pat. No. 6,674,545; U.S. Pat. No. 6,965,931; U.S. Pat. No. 7,177,034; U.S. Pat. No. 7,190,478; U.S. Pat. No. 7,957,019; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,130,396 are hereby incorporated by reference.
Furthermore, Published US Patent Application Number 2002/0048036-A1; Published US Patent Application Number 2006/0136992-A1; Published US Patent Application Number 2010/0103824-A1; Published US Patent Application Number 2010/0268591-A1; and Published US Patent Application Number 2012/0013936-A1 disclose examples of conventional printing devices.
The entire contents of Published US Patent Application Number 2002/0048036-A1; Published US Patent Application Number 2006/0136992-A1; Published US Patent Application Number 2010/0103824-A1; Published US Patent Application Number 2010/0268591-A1; and Published US Patent Application Number 2012/0013936-A1 are hereby incorporated by reference.
With respect to these various examples, the disclosed conventional printing devices suffer from the various issues discussed above.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a printing system which is fully functional, but the user only pays for the functionality actually used.
Moreover, it would be desirable to provide a printing system which can provide a user with an option to display printer related information on a secondary large display device.
In addition, it would be desirable to provide a printing system which can provide a user the capability to utilize surrounding idle local printers which are not associated with the user's intranet.